Overworked L.A. Hotel Employees Lawsuit

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are investigating whether class action lawsuits can be filed on behalf of hotel cleaners, housekeepers and attendants in Los Angeles who may have been illegally overworked and underpaid.

Specifically, the attorneys believe that some L.A. hotels may require these employees to clean more rooms per day than are allowed by law, and that the hotels may additionally ignore panic button safety measures, demand mandatory overtime beyond 10 hours in a day and retaliate against employees who refuse excessive workloads.

A class action lawsuit may be able to help hotel workers recover unpaid wages, penalties and other compensation they may be owed. It could also require any hotels found to be in violation of the law to change their unfair and unlawful business practices.

L.A. Hotel Employment Laws: Why Might Employees Be Owed Compensation?

In 2022, the city of Los Angeles put into effect its Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance (HWPO), which regulates acceptable working conditions and workloads for hotel employees in the city. One important aspect of this law addresses how many rooms an employee can legally be assigned to clean per day, depending on the size of the hotel. The law also requires certain safety measures for hotel employees.

However, the attorneys working with ClassAction.org believe that some Los Angeles hotels may routinely ignore legal workload and safety regulations set forth in the HWPO, thereby potentially overworking, underpaying or even endangering staff.

Workload Regulations

Per the ordinance, workers in a hotel with 45 to 59 guest rooms can only be required to clean a maximum of 4,000 square feet (approximately 12 rooms) within an eight-hour shift. Those working in hotels with 60 or more guest rooms cannot be required to clean more than 3,500 square feet (approximately 10 rooms). Additionally, the HWPO puts even lower limits on the square footage for workers who are required to clean multiple buildings, multiple floors or more than five special-attention rooms in an eight-hour shift.

If an employee is required to clean more than legally permitted, the HWPO requires that they be paid double their normal rate for “each and every hour worked during the workday.”

Further, the ordinance states that a hotel worker cannot be required by their employer to work more than 10 hours in a workday unless the worker consents in writing to the additional hours. The worker must also have been informed by the hotel, prior to the submission of their written consent, that they have a right to refuse overtime beyond the 10-hour mark and that the hotel cannot take any adverse action against them for such refusal, the HWPO elaborates.

Safety Measures

L.A. hotels are also required by the HWPO to provide employees who are assigned to work alone in a guest room or restroom facility with a portable panic button or similar device at no cost. The ordinance states that a security device can be activated “whenever a hotel worker reasonably believes that violent or threatening conduct or an emergency is occurring in [their] presence,” and that the employee must be allowed to cease work, leave the dangerous area and await assistance without any potential for adverse employment action to be taken against them.

The HWPO additionally notes that hotels with 60 or more guest rooms must have a designated security guard who can receive and respond to alerts from workers’ personal security devices, though those with under 60 rooms may allow this role to be filled by an adequately trained manager or supervisor.

How Could a Los Angeles Hotel Worker Lawsuit Help?

A class action lawsuit, if filed and successful, could help hotel workers in Los Angeles recover any unpaid wages, as well as additional compensation for potential violations of the Los Angeles Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance. A lawsuit could also require hotels to change their business practices and employee treatment to better comply with the HWPO.

Importantly, the Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for exercising their rights, including the right to file a lawsuit.

What You Can Do

After you get in touch, an attorney or legal representative may reach out directly to ask you some questions and explain how you may be able to help get a lawsuit started. It costs nothing to fill out the form or speak with someone, and you’re not obligated to take legal action if you don’t want to.

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